Six Years In The Making
by Wandering Letters
Summary: During Ashe's earlier years, she grows up in a small village in Frejord with her best friend Samuel. Ashe encourages Sam to become a Summoner and soon, she becomes a champion of the League herself. After battling feelings for six years, on a special day, she decides to tell Sam something that could change their lives. AsheXSummoner before she marries Tryndamere.


**(A/N): Here we go again! Next up in the series is none other than everyone's favorite Frost Archer! Ashe is a very underrated champion who in my opinion can be just as deadly as any ranged AD carry if played right. Ashe also has some of the best skins I've ever seen for a female champion (Frejord Ashe and Woad Ashe? You've gotta be kidding me if you don't think those are awesome).**

**I'm gonna do something a little different for this fic and tell some of it from Ashe's perspective. Also I apologize if I get her a little bit OOC in this attempt.**

**EDIT: I completely forgot to mention that this story takes place during the days Ashe just started out as a champion and before she marries Tryndamere. Sorry about that confusion.**

**Anyway! Here we go!**

* * *

**Six Years In The Making**

"Nice shot Sam!" said Ashe with a small round of applause.

I smiled as I lowered my bow and examined my handiwork. I managed to score a shot just to the right of the bullseye.

"So close!" I said snapping my fingers in annoyance.  
"Considering we started this training a week ago, you're a natural at this," she said with an optimistic smile.

It's been six years since Ashe and I met that fateful day in the icy wilderness of Frejord. I wasn't a Summoner of the League until one year ago when Ashe suggested I become one due to my natural affinity for magic and arcane arts.

"Come on Sam! Keep it going!" she said.

I always enjoyed her happy disposition and her enthusiastic approach to archery. She began teaching me how to use a bow last week and gave me one of her first bows to practice with. It was quite a fine bow; made from the sturdy trees in Frejord with a string that was handcrafted by her using spider silk and a soft metal alloy which was malleable rather than stiff. Ashe knew all there was to know about archery; she knew exactly how to craft an arrow to achieve the results she desired, how to aim the bow even in almost zero visibility to strike a target and she was even skilled enough to look into a mirror and shoot a target with incredible accuracy. As a child I had always admired the sport of archery and once Ashe saw me eyeing one of her old bows during a regular visit to her home, she gave it to me for my next birthday. Now at the age of 20 and Ashe being younger than me by a mere 3 months, she and I had become inseperable friends.

"Try breathing as you release the arrow Sam and relax...you're being too hard on the string," she urged.

I nodded as I followed her instructions. My eyes focused on the target ahead of me. I eased the arrow back and let out a slow breath as I released it. To my utter surprise, I managed to strike the bullseye. I found myself cheering uncharacteristically and she was right with me, giving me a friendly hug. It was when she hugged me that I allowed my feelings to ease back into my mind. It was a mix of wanted and unwanted; during the five years I've known her, I've grown to deeply admire her as an individual and as one of the very few people who I felt comfortable in letting down my guard around.

She's always been there for me and even when I got injured in a hunting accident a few years back, she was there to protect me from the savage bears. She never asked for anything in return and the thing I loved most about Ashe was the fact that she trusts me enough to allow me into her memories whenever we worked together in the League Of Legends. As a Summoner, I had the power to control her every action and I was very easily capable of invading her privacy but she never once told me I wasn't allowed to. In fact, she encouraged me to so I could learn everything about her that she could tell me with her own words. I was convinced I had romantic feelings for her after the third year of meeting her but there was no way I could bring myself to tell her something like that; she had a lot of things on her own plate.

"I'm so proud of you Sam! One week and you're hitting the bullseye!" she said.  
"Because I had the best teacher," I said.

She smiled brightly at me as she raised a hand to her face and moved a strand of her silver hair behind her ear.

* * *

**Ashe's POV**

Words can't describe how elated I felt when that last arrow hit the bullseye. Sam was improving so much so quickly and unknown to him, I had never taught someone archery before. He was such a quick learner and he always listened to every word I said without question or miscomprehension which was probably one of the reasons why I would only teach him.

"Alright now let's try something a little more challenging," I said.

I put an apple on a tall tree stump and handed him three arrows.

"You have three shots to hit the apple, if you manage to hit it I'll give you a surprise," I said.

His face became hardened with determination. As he took the first arrow in his hand and pulled back on the bow. His gravity defying jet black hair became still as he drew in a breath. He aimed the shot and exhaled as he released it, perfectly mimicking my technique. Despite the technique, he missed the apple by several centimetres. He didn't seem very discouraged as he loaded the second arrow and adjusted his aim. He fired again and hit the apple stem but not the actual apple. He let out an exasperated breath and loaded his last arrow before successfully impaling the apple against the tree behind it. I gave him a round of applause.

"I don't deserve the surprise until I get it in one shot," he said.

He was clearly disappointed at missing twice. He holstered the bow across his body before taking a gulp from his water canteen. I was glad that the cold weather didn't seem to bother him much; many people found Frejord to be an unpleasant place due to the intense snowstorms in addition to the villages and towns being far between each other. I didn't expect any less considering Sam grew up in the same village that I did.

"Sam?" I said.

His crimson eyes locked onto me and I immediately found myself silenced by his gaze. He was one of the most sought after men in our village but he turned every single one of the women down albeit nicely. Apart from me, he didn't have many friends apart from some of the men who he practiced hunting with. Their everyday activities allowed him to develop a physique that was more than capable of lasting in the cold Frejord wilderness but he also was very gifted athlete with his unusual agility, especially when he was climbing trees and jumping. His skin's complexion almost matched mine though he was slightly lighter and he always wore a trenchcoat that was made from the fur of a wolf. He never removed the coat unless he was bathing or going to sleep; that very same wolf was the one that almost killed his horse.

As if on cue, he let loose a loud whistle and within seconds, the large snow white mare trotted out of the woods. I had no idea how she was able to find him but considering he raised her from a filly, she had a very strong bond with him. Sam was extremely good with nature; he tamed a falcon that raided our chicken nests and he also raised a wolf puppy on his own.

"Ready to head back Ashe?" he asked.

He held out a hand to me and I took with a smile.

"Home Elise," he commanded.

The mare took off into a full gallop and I clung to him to ensure I wouldn't fall off. To my surprise, I felt heat in my cheeks upon hugging him close to me. Ever since he and I became best friends all those years ago, I've found myself looking at him in a different light than just the brother I never had. I knew that it wasn't a wise idea to have such feelings for someone as uninterested in romance as he was but he was so good to me that I couldn't help but think he felt something for me. The biggest indicator had to be when I got injured in a hunting accident last year by a pack of wolverines.

* * *

**One Year Ago**

I ran as fast as I could as six wolverines chased me through the woods. I knew I could pick them off if I had the time to turn and aim but six of them bearing down on me didn't give me any such opening. I resorted to leaping into the trees but they followed me along the ground, never losing my trail. I began to run out of trees and it wasn't long before I was trapped in a tall one. To make matters worse, I wasn't able to see them through the large branches but I could hear their growls. I had no choice but to stay up here and hope they would lost interest.

One hour passed and I didn't hear any of them so I decided to jump down. That was the biggest mistake I could've made when all six of them ambushed me a short distance away from the tree. I managed to injure three of them with a volley but to my horror, I was down to two arrows. Before I could reach for them, one of the wolverines swiped my leg, bringing me down to the ground. I knew that I was in big trouble but I fired my last two arrows, hitting the two remaining wolverines but they refused to let up. There was nothing I could do except await my death...at least before I saw a large grey wolf leap over me and tackle one of the wolverines. I recognized the wolf instantly and it wasn't long before Sam appeared bearing a bow of his own. He tried to fire at them but he had no practice and missed miserably but it scared the wolverines enough to back away. The wolf killed the wolverine she tackled before tackling it's companion, giving it a swift bite to the throat to seal it's fate.

Sam ran to my side and slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Elise!" he said.

His white mare galloped towards us before rearing herself on her hind legs and stomping the ground, scaring the remaining four wolverines away. He turned his attention to me.

"Are you alright Ashe?" he said.  
"How did you find me?" I asked.  
"Maya picked up your scent and made me follow her to you," he replied.

My leg began to pulsate with pain as I winced and reached to touch it. He stopped me.

"It looks infected; let me take care of it," he urged.  
"But-" I began.  
"You did it for me once and this is me returning the favor," he said.

He carried me to Elise and positioned me to lean on her while he picked up the wolverine carcasses. He strapped them to Ellie's saddle before hopping on her back. He surprisingly hoisted me up with a single hand.

"Hold on tight," he said.

I obeyed him as I clung to his waist. He rushed me to his cabin and lay me on his bed.

"Maya, get the kit," he said.

The wolf ran off into the house as he removed his coat and lit a lantern. She returned with a small box in her mouth and he took it from her before petting her head in gratitude.

"Let's see that leg," he said.

He examined my torn leggings and his eyes widened.

"I can't get the whole thing with the leggings blocking me," he said softly.

I blushed immensely but allowed him to remove my leggings, leaving me clad in a short pair of shorts I wore as an added layer. I looked down at the injury to see a large gash that was bleeding.

"You're pretty lucky Ashe; that wolverine was only centimetres from a vital vessel but you're gonna be okay," he said.

I sighed in relief as he took out a bottle of alcohol.

"This is gonna sting...a lot," he warned.

I nodded as he poured some of it on the gash. I winced loudly in pain as the alcohol washed out any impurities inside of the cut. He looked very concerned for me but he knew he couldn't help me with the pain. He poured again and I couldn't help but let a scream out of my mouth as my head went down to the pillow. The look of concern intensified as he reached for the ointment to seal it. He waited patiently until I calmed down from the intense stinging sensation before he began to rub the cool ointment on my leg, bringing sweet relief. He rubbed it gently and soon wrapped the area with a bandage after putting a piece of gauze over the wound.

"I'd say take it easy for a while until it seals up nicely," he said.  
"Thanks Sam...I don't know what would've happened if you didn't find me," I said.

He smiled at me before he blew out the lantern he lit.

"Get some rest," he said.

He rose to go into the guest bedroom but I grabbed his hand.

"Wait," I said.

He turned back to me and sat beside me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

My eyes met his and I found myself drifting closer to him. His crimson eyes didn't break contact and I was sure I saw him move as well. I blushed profusely as I leaned closer to him. My eyes narrowed and I saw his narrow as well as the distance became shorter and shorter. I was positive we were about to make contact until a loud crash echoed through the room. He turned to see that the wind outside had blown down a bunch of his hunting equipment off the rack. I turned away and lay down as he replaced all the items and returned to my side.

"Ashe?" he said.  
"Yes?" I replied.  
"You're shivering," he said.

I didn't even notice my body trembling from the cold temperature of the house and it didn't help that I was in shorts. He rose off the bed and after a few seconds, he put a warm blanket over me.

"I'm in the next room, call me if you need anything," he said.

I nodded as he left.

* * *

**Present Time- Samuel's POV**

I opened the door to be greeted by Maya. She sat in front of the doorway wagging her tail and I crouched to pet her. I moved out of the way and she ran to Ashe and nearly tackled her as she jumped up. Ashe happily rubbed her head before she returned to me and looked at me.

"Hungry are you? Alright come on," I said.

She followed me into the kitchen. Ashe followed her after a few seconds after removing her jacket and top layer of leggings, leaving her in short shorts and a furry shirt. I recognized the shirt instantly as the one I got for her birthday last year. Her silver hair was pinned in a pony tail and some of it hung over her face in two small bangs on both sides. Overall, she was as beautiful as ever.

"Hungry Ashe?" I asked.  
"Please tell me you aren't going to cook that salmon of yours again," she said as she sat around the table.  
"Why?" I asked.

She blushed and looked away.

"Because I'll eat all of it," she replied.

I chuckled loudly as I quickly got to work in preparing dinner for us. I took out a fresh fish out of the bag I brought back with me before dropping it into the pan on the stove. Ashe watched me intently, seemingly taking note of everything I did. After about fifteen minutes of prep, I put Maya's dinner in her dish before joining Ashe around the table.

"Give that about 20 minutes and it'll be good to eat," I said with a smile.  
"Thanks," she said.

I looked at her with my hands behind my hand and shrugged.

"Sam? I was wondering...if we could talk about something," she said.  
"Anything," I said.

I drew my chair out and turned to her. She did the same and moved one of her bangs behind her ear.

"Remember that night one year ago?...when you saved me from the wolverines?" she said.

I nodded.

"Remember...what happened before the wind blew your stuff down?" she said.

She sounded nervous. I nodded again.

"I...want to know...if you feel something for me," she said.

There was a lot of fear and reluctance in her voice. She looked away from me and I came to the realization that I really did like her. My face heated up but I wasn't someone who was scared of admitting something like that; she was such a wonderful person that liking her would be at the most unsurprising for any man.

"Ashe..." I began.

She turned to face me again.

"You want to know if I like you?" I asked.

She nervously nodded, again breaking eye contact. I swallowed my fears.

"No Ashe...I don't like you," I replied.

* * *

**Ashe's POV**

My heart sank and suddenly, the anticipation that heated my body up vanished. I felt a wave of pain surge through my body as I turned away. I should've known that he still wasn't interested in that kind of thing but...I was selfish. I shouldn't have expected him to have feelings for me but the way he treated me just didn't indicate anything else. I rose to my feet.

"That's all I wanted to know," I said.

I turned to leave the room but he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap before planting a deep kiss on my lips. I was utterly unprepared for the contact and my heart skipped a few beats when his warm lips enveloped my cold ones. I couldn't even react; my legs felt numb, my brain was processing at a hundreth of it's usual speed and my arms were frozen in place against his chest. He held my right hand by the wrist in a gentle grip. Though it was only seconds, it felt like years before he broke the contact. Rage poured through my body and I slapped him hard across his face.

"Why would you say you don't like me and then do that! I don't understand!" I said with sadness clear in my voice.

I got off of him.

"Stop sending me false signs Samuel! Don't lie to me and give me what I want because it hurts!" I screamed.

I walked out of the room. As I reached the door, he appeared almost out of nowhere and grabbed my hand. He didn't even seem fazed at the red slap mark on his cheek when he lifted my chin to face him.

"I did that...because I don't like you," he said.

He leaned close to me.

"I love you Ashe...more than anything else," he whispered.

My eyes widened and tears escaped my eyes before he pressed his lips against mine once again. I closed my eyes and let out a breath through my nose and leaned into him, pressing his back against the wall. I wrapped my arms around his neck and I felt his hands on the curves between my ribs and waist as he pulled me closer. I broke away after several seconds when the need for air became too great but I didn't move far.

"Ashe...I've loved you since we were kids...I just had no idea how to say it until now and I'm sorry if I hurt you with my hesitation back there...I just had trouble finding the words," he said.

* * *

**Samuel's POV**

I knew I should've been quicker with my words but a lump in my throat appeared when I tried to say the three words; even though she kissed me back, saying such a powerful word had the power to scare her away and that was the last thing I wanted to do. I was astonished when she kissed back with even more passion than me despite having just knocking my senses for a loop with that slap. She looked at me with dreamy eyes.

"Well?...say something," I said.

Her hands rested on my chest.

"Kiss me...one more time...I have to know this is real," she whispered.

I smiled as I pulled her to my lips once more. She took control of the kiss and pressed me against the wall as she allowed my eager tongue into her mouth. My hands remained on her waist and hers gathered fistfuls of my shirt. After several minutes, I tore myself away.

"Our...salmon's gonna get burned," I panted.  
"I love you...I love you so much," she whispered.

I smiled as she released my shirt which was now a crumpled mess after the death grip she put on it. I zipped off and finished the salmon before serving it to her. After eating in a comfortable silence, we moved to the living room in front of the fireplace; it was rather cold seeing as it was winter time. I sat down on the bear skin rug and she joined me. I didn't even get to start a conversation before she captured my lips again, this time pushing me onto my back and laying on me. I broke away from the kiss after several seconds.

"Was this the surprise?" I asked with a smile.  
"Maybe..." she teased.

Maya came out of nowhere and nuzzled against Ashe. Ashe climbed off of me and rubbed the space behind her ear. I leaned up before stretching and climbing onto my couch. I suddenly felt very tired after this long day.

"So you're going to let me sleep alone?" she said.

I chuckled and patted the space in front of me.

"I'd rather sleep outhere where it's warmer," I said.

She climbed into the couch and positioned herself in front of me, allowing me to embrace her and plant a kiss on her cheek.

"By the way Sam," she said.

I nodded against her hair.

"Happy Birthday,"


End file.
